An Overview of Investigational Drugs for the Treatment of Covid-19

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 has been emerged from Wuhan in China and has now shacked out more than 200 Countries and territories all over the world. World’s best scientists are contributing and endeavouring to find drugs, immuno-modulators and vaccines for the treatment of COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 virus is a betacoronavirus and positive-stranded RNA virus that originates from the Coronaviridae family. The most important structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 are spike trimeric (S) protein, membrane (M) protein, envelop (E) protein and the nucleocapsid (N) protein. The SARS-CoV-2 begins its life cycle, when the S protein binds with the host cells receptor ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2). The viral protein(M) and genome (Protein-N) RNA eventually get assembled into virions (with Protein-S and HE), Endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. According to the various research reports, there aremore than 50 drugs, immunomodulators and vaccines that may be effective against COVID-19. Some drugs had shown the in vitro activity against MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. The aim of this review is to highlight the properties,structure, life cycle of SARS-CoV-2 and description of the agents which show potential efficacy against SARS-CoV-2.